Japanese Maple

People describe Japanese Maple as easy and I'd push back on that slightly. watering deeply and regularly in the first two growing seasons needs consistent attention and scale insects or aphids in the canopy attracting sooty mould can undermine progress quickly if ignored. Where Japanese Maple is ge…

As a complete beginner I was nervous about starting with Japanese Maple. It turned out to be more forgiving than I expected, as long as I paid attention to watering deeply and regularly in the first two growing seasons. I grow mine in a specimen on a lawn as a traditional statement tree which is wo…

After growing Japanese Maple for over a year here is what I'd tell a beginner. First: keeping a mulch-free collar immediately around the trunk is not optional — it's the foundation everything else depends on. Second: scale insects or aphids in the canopy attracting sooty mould will happen and you s…

I planted Japanese Maple without expecting much and it's become one of the most satisfying things in my garden. significant impact on the microclimate and character of a garden is something I couldn't have predicted from looking at it in a nursery. You only understand it once the plant is establishe…

Someone gave me Japanese Maple as a birthday gift and I barely knew what it was. Two years later it's my most treasured plant and I've spent more time researching it than I'd care to admit. The key discovery was staking correctly with a low stake to allow the trunk to flex and strengthen — once tha…

I'd had Japanese Maple for about eight months with acceptable but unremarkable results. Then I started really paying attention to watering deeply and regularly in the first two growing seasons and the difference over the next two months was dramatic. significant impact on the microclimate and chara…

The first few months with Japanese Maple were underwhelming. Almost no visible growth and I questioned my decision repeatedly. Then something shifted — I think getting watering deeply and regularly in the first two growing seasons right was the turning point. multi-decade investment that improves y…

I don't have a garden so a wildlife garden with native species is my only option for Japanese Maple. It absolutely works — with the right attention to keeping a mulch-free collar immediately around the trunk you can get excellent results in containers. significant impact on the microclimate and cha…

I've grown several varieties within the Japanese Maple family and have some observations to share. canopy habitat for birds, insects, and wildlife varies noticeably between them, more than catalogue descriptions suggest. The care fundamentals are shared — keeping a mulch-free collar immediately arou…